title: Adipose-derived stem cells and nerve regeneration: promises and pitfalls.
abstract: In order to improve the outcome of nerve regeneration following peripheral trauma injuries, the development of bioengineered nerve grafts has attracted great attention in the field of tissue engineering. Adult stem cells constitute the ideal alternative to Schwann cells (SCs) as transplantable cells in bioartificial nerve grafts. Among the various sources of stem cells with potential applications for regenerative medicine, the adipose tissue has been proven to be one of the most promising. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are easily obtained, rapidly expanded, show low immunogenicity, and can be differentiated into SCs in vitro. This chapter will focus on recent advances in the use of differentiated and undifferentiated ASCs for peripheral nerve regeneration, with a critical attention for the clinical exploitability of ASC in nerve repair strategies.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Blond McIndoe Laboratories, Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, Manchester, United Kingdom. Electronic address: alessandro.faroni@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faroni
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Terenghi
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D016378:Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods
keywords: Adipose-derived stem cells; Nerve regeneration; Peripheral nerves; Regenerative medicine; Tissue engineering